Reliable Auto DB

2020 Honda Ridgeline reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 Honda Ridgeline holds 169 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 10 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Ridgeline years here — under the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Frame, Front passenger seat weight sensor, and Camera.

2018 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition
Photo by The original uploader was McChizzle at English Wikipedia ., resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

169

Per year

10

Recalls

9

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (49 of 169), then Engine (38) and Back-over prevention (14). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 18,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 2,000 and 50,000 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Ridgeline has 235 complaints, 17 per year, and the 2021 has 101 complaints, 16 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 Honda Ridgeline. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (9)

Recall structure, frame 2026-06-04 · NHTSA campaign 26V365000
Summary American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
Vehicles affected 880,514
Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2026-05-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V332000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Remedy Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Vehicles affected 98,892
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2024-05-09 · NHTSA campaign 24V321000
Summary Honda (America Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ridgeline vehicles. The rearview camera (RVC) tailgate wire harness may fatigue and break, which can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.
Remedy Dealers will replace the RVC tailgate wire harness, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is YI7.
Vehicles affected 187,290
Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2024-02-01 · NHTSA campaign 24V064000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Remedy Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Vehicles affected 750,114
Recall Fuel pump 2023-12-18 · NHTSA campaign 23V858000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Vehicles affected 2,490,460
Recall Brake master cylinder 2023-06-29 · NHTSA campaign 23V458000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Vehicles affected 124,077
Recall visibility, rearview mirrors, exterior 2023-03-16 · NHTSA campaign 23V174000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Dealers will replace both left and right side-view mirrors, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 17, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FE5.
Vehicles affected 339,404
Recall structure, body, hood 2021-11-29 · NHTSA campaign 21V932000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Passport, 2016-2019 Pilot, and 2017-2020 Ridgeline vehicles. The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, which can result in the hood opening while driving.
Remedy Dealers will either repair the hood latch striker, or replace the hood if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is PBV.
Vehicles affected 724,826
Recall Equipment 2020-09-17 · NHTSA campaign 20E068000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling all Honda Genuine Accessory Tonneau Covers, part number 08Z07-T6Z-100F, sold for installation on 2017-2020 Ridgeline trucks. If the tonneau cover is not properly secured in the open or closed position, wind resistance may cause the cover to flip and buckle. If this occurs, the hinges between the center and rear panel may deform, possibly allowing the rear panel to separate from the vehicle.
Remedy Honda will notify all registered owners of 2017-2020 Honda Ridgelines, and dealers will install tethers onto any Honda Genuine Accessory Tonneau Cover to prevent panel separation and apply warning labels, free of charge. In addition, an updated accessory user's information manual will be provided. The recall began October 26, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is F8M.
Vehicles affected 151,343

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (169 total)

Electrical system
49
Engine
38
Back-over prevention
14
Forward collision avoidance
14
Exterior lighting
12
Air bags
10
Lane departure
9
Powertrain
9
Visibility and wipers
8
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Service brakes
4
Structure
4
Suspension
2
Visibility
2
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Seat belts
1
Speed control
1
Wheels
1
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Of the 25 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 18,000 miles. The middle half fall between 2,000 and 50,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

42020102021162022342023532024382025142026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Engine idle stop function failed to restart automatically while i was stopped at a stop light. I was at a complete stop at a four way intersection with vehicles behind me and my vehicle did not restart after light…"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-16
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an abnormal knocking sound was heard, and smoke emerged from under the hood. No warning lights illuminated, and the…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-27
  • "When driving normally, oncominng traffic is triggering the frontal collision warning system. Is some cases long enough to start the emergency braking procedure if I do not engage the brakes manually preventing the…"
    Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-08-16
  • "The vehicle's Auto-Idle Stop (AIS) feature is defective and creates a severe safety hazard. While stopped at a busy road intersection, the feature engaged and shut the engine off normally. However, when releasing the…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-08-04
  • "The vehicle's front-facing monocular camera experienced an internal component failure that triggered a permanent error code U3000-49. This hardware failure instantly disabled multiple core safety features…"
    Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-08-04

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Honda RIDGELINE PU/CC AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Honda RIDGELINE PU/CC FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Ridgeline all-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (9-speed) All-wheel drive 19 24 21 MPG $3100
Ridgeline front-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (9-speed) Front-wheel drive 19 26 22 MPG $2950

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2017–present
Body styles Pickup truck
Oil 0W-20 , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 245/60R18
Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Honda technical service bulletins 17-025 and 17-026 cover 2017 Ridgeline trucks with a judder felt from the torque converter lock-up clutch between 20 and 60 mph; the symptom is often diagnosed as a failing torque converter, but Honda's investigation found the torque converter undamaged and traced the judder to transmission fluid that deteriorates faster than expected under intermittent high heat loads in certain driving conditions. The remedy applies a software update that keeps transmission fluid temperature within the intended range, and replaces the transmission fluid; bulletin 17-026 covers the vehicles on which the judder is still present after that software update has been done.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Honda Ridgeline Next year 2021 Honda Ridgeline See every Honda Ridgeline model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Honda Ridgeline reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 Honda Ridgeline holds 169 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 10 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Ridgeline years here — under the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Frame, Front passenger seat weight sensor, and Camera.

What are common problems with a 2020 Honda Ridgeline?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (49 of 169), then Engine (38) and Back-over prevention (14). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 18,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 2,000 and 50,000 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2020 Honda Ridgeline more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Ridgeline has 235 complaints, 17 per year, and the 2021 has 101 complaints, 16 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Honda Ridgeline been recalled?

The 2020 Honda Ridgeline has 9 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Honda Ridgeline?

Owners have filed 169 complaints about the 2020 Honda Ridgeline with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Honda Ridgeline get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Honda Ridgeline is 21.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

Why isn't there a 2015 or 2016 Honda Ridgeline?

Honda paused Ridgeline production between generations; the first generation ended after 2014 and the redesigned second generation didn't launch until the 2017 model year.

Does the Honda Ridgeline have a frame rust recall?

NHTSA recall 22V-430 covers 2006-2014 Ridgeline trucks for rear-frame corrosion near the fuel tank in salt-belt states.